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Glite Dictionary
to outstare

to outstare

8.6
To look at someone without blinking longer so they look away
  • verb
  • /aʊtˈstɛr/
translation icon : mirar fijamente
  • She could outstare anyone at the school, making her classmates feel uneasy when she focused on them.

Examples

  • He tried to outstare his opponent, refusing to blink first during the tense standoff.

  • In spite of her tenderness, Aunt Jenny could outshout, outgesture, and outstare the loudest of my Italian relatives.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Now he'll outstare the lightning.

    Antony and Cleopatra (1972)

  • Caroline had no option but to outstare her.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Let's just outstare them.

    Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)

  • He preferred to outstare it or, in this instance, to let the eyeballs speak for themselves.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • In their game of intimidation, he thought he could outstare the dog to show he wasn't afraid.

Synonyms

to stare down
vsto outstare
  • Informal
21 4.9

To look at someone without moving your eyes until they look away or give up

uses longer or more intense looking to unsettle and force submission
to outface
vsto outstare
1 9.7

To stare at someone in a brave way to make them feel afraid

relies mainly on prolonged intense looking rather than bold confident display
to overawe
vsto outstare
  • Formal
1 8.2

To make someone feel small or afraid by showing great power

works by prolonged intense looking rather than inspiring fear or respect

Antonyms

to look away
125 2.2

Turn your eyes away from a person or thing that makes you uncomfortable

How Intense

to outstare
8.6
to glare
49 3.2
to stare
∞ 1.0
to gaze
170 2.6
look
∞ 1.0
to glance
299 1.5

Surface Forms

outstare infinitive
outstared past
outstared past participle
outstaring present participle
outstares third person singular

Morphology

outstare = stare (transparent) = out + stare + out

The productive prefix 'out-' meaning 'to surpass' plus the verb 'stare' yields the meaning 'to stare more/superior to someone', which learners can derive from known components.

Etymology

Outstare comes from the prefix out- ('more than', as in outdo or outrun) and the verb stare ('to look'). So to outstare someone is to look at them longer or harder until they look away.